WELCOME TO MARIO'S HOTEL IN FLORENCE

Welcome to Mario’s 3 Star Hotel in the Renaissance city of Firenze. With a cosy and friendly atmosphere and a great central location, Mario’s is a family run Guest House style hotel which offers comfort and service with a smile to guests from all over the world. Blending the old world charm of Florence in the fixtures and fittings of a 17th century building with the modern luxuries and comforts expected by today’s traveller, The Florentine hotel owners Leonardo and his brothers like to personally afford each and every guest that personal touch and leave you with happy memories of a pleasant and fruitful stay in Florence.

venerdì 26 agosto 2011

Appuntamento domenica 27 novembre 2011 con la 28^ edizione della classica internazionale di corsa su strada

E’ il fascino avvolgente di secoli di arte, storia e cultura che ti accompagna, passo dopo passo, lungo i 42 chilometri e 195 metri della Firenze Marathon. Un’emozione unica che solo chi ha corso a Firenze può raccontare e che ha trasformato la classica della città del giglio in un appuntamento irrinunciabile per migliaia di sportivi e appassionati provenienti da tutto il mondo, puntuale ogni anno, l’ultima domenica di novembre.
L’evento fiorentino è cresciuto in maniera esponenziale in questi ultimi anni, tanto che lo scorso 28 novembre in occasione della XXVII edizione è stato centrato il nuovo record di iscritti, con 10200  podisti provenienti da 62  paesi. Numeri impressionanti, a testimonianza di una crescita che non è solo numerica, ma anche qualitativa, che hanno trasformato la Firenze Marathon nella seconda maratona italiana, alle spalle soltanto di Roma.
Una manifestazione che non è solo un evento sportivo, ma anche un fatto di costume e di cultura davanti a cui non si può che restare incantati. E’ questa la sensazione che ha accomunato migliaia di podisti e che hanno potuto provare anche i tanti spettatori collegati suRaisport1, per seguire le tre ore di diretta riservate alla XXVII Firenze Marathon dalla Tgs-Raisport. E’ il settimo anno consecutivo che la Rai dedica la diretta alla manifestazione fiorentina, a giusto riconoscimento della crescente importanza assunta dall’evento in questi anni. Parlare solo di numeri, però, non renderebbe il giusto merito ad una maratona che ha raggiunto ormai un livello organizzativo di assoluta eccellenza e che può vantare un palcoscenico eccezionale come Firenze, una città unica al mondo per la sua bellezza e per la sua atmosfera.
La Firenze Marathon è il principale evento di corsa su strada che si svolge in Toscana e, insieme a Roma, è ormai di diritto la maratona internazionale più importante d'Italia e tra le prime 20 al mondo per numero di partecipanti e per qualità.
Il percorso fiorentino si muove attraverso scorci paesaggistici e monumenti di una bellezza unica, che hanno reso famosa la città nel mondo. Un nuovo tracciato che tocca i luoghi più affascinanti di Firenze, come piazza del  Duomo, piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio e tante altre strade e piazze ricche di storia e di cultura, prima di concludersi nella solenne maestosità di piazza Santa Croce. Il percorso è senza dislivelli, come previsto dalle norme IAAF, e sempre su strade asfaltate, caratteristiche che lo rendono particolarmente scorrevole e apprezzato da tutti gli atleti. La Firenze Marathon è inserita nel calendario ufficiale delle maratone internazionali, certificata AIMS e riconosciuta dalla IAAF.

PER IL TUO SOGGIORNO A FIRENZE, HOTEL MARIO'S
Via Faenza, 89
50123 Firenze
Tel. 055 216 801
Fax 055 212 039

NOVEMBER 27, 2011: fIRENZE MARATHON

Sunday, 27th November 2011, is the date of the 2011 edition of the international classic road race, the 28th Florence Marathon. Step by step all along its 42 kilometers and 195 meters you are surrounded by centuries of art, history and culture, a unique emotion that can only be experienced by those who run in Florence. Year after year, thousands of sportspeople and enthusiasts from all over the world come to participate in this classic race on the last Sunday in November. This great event in Florence has increased immeasurably recently so much so that we expect more than 11.500 participants in 2011.
This extraordinary increase in participation also testifies to the constant attention given to the organization of the race. Florence Marathon is now the second Italian marathon (after Rome), and among the 20 most important marathons in the world. The route takes you by all those landmarks of singular beauty that have made Florence famous worldwide: views over the enchanting hills and countryside, and passing right by the Cathedral Square, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio (to mention only just a few of historical importance), before entering the majestic Piazza Santa Croce.  The road is entirely asphalted and ramp-free, except for the short, slightly sloping stretch of road at the start, and these characteristics make it a particularly fast route appreciated by runners.

ENJOY THE MARATHON AND STAY AT HOTEL MARIO'S

HOTEL MARIO'S
Via Faenza, 89
50123 Firenze
Tel. 0039 055 216 801
Fax 0039 055 212 039
E-mail: hotelmarios@hotelmarios.com
Internet site: www.hotelmarios.com

sabato 20 agosto 2011

03/11 DECEMBER 2011: Biennale Internazionale dell'Arte Contemporanea

The Florence Biennale was founded in 1997 as a global convocation of artists with all their diversity. It was the right time for an idea like this. By the late 1990s, contemporary art was at a cross road. The old assumptions – that art came in waves, each named with an ‘ism’ by the end, that auction prices equal the value received, that painting was ‘dead’ and so on – those assumptions were collapsing. Suddenly it was obvious that art was alive, thriving, and as varied as humanity. Artists are everywhere. Around that time, in the old Florence, something new was stirring. A committee of Italian artists and curators proposed a biennial where talented and recognized artists could exhibit their latest work. The artists would decide the way of exhibiting their work. The risks were enormous: there had never been a show on this scale with a direct connection between artists’ studios and the exhibition walls. The evaluation of unfiltered results would be assigned to an International Jury. In 1997, with hardly any publicity, the invitations were sent. The response was impressive: 317 artists from 17 different countries.
By 2003, the 4th Florence Biennale had grown into the world’s most comprehensive exhibition of contemporary art, showing more than 800 artists from 70 different countries. This year’s 7th Biennale builds on those numbers and broadens its horizons.
Those expecting a single curatorial vision will be astonished by its polyglot multiplicity. The only curator is who visits the show. Here are 3000 paintings, sculptures, prints and installations. Make your ‘short list’ – there aren’t going to be two lists alike.
Artists at every stage of their careers, including the most eminent artists, play key roles at the Biennale. Their presence is the confirmation that the garden of art yields wondrous fruit when tilled by many hands. Past distinguished recipients of the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" Award for Career Achievement include Chen Cheng-Hsiung (2001, the first Chinese abstract expressionist painter), David Hockney (2003), Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Richard Anuskiewicz (Optical Art in the '60) and Gilbert and George in the 2007. This year Career Awards will be bestowed on Marina Abramovic, and Shu Yong.
The Biennale believes in promoting respect and tolerance among the world’s artists. In 2001, the Biennale was recognized by the United Nations as an official partner in its program, Dialogue among Civilizations. In 2005 features its collaborative association with the Triennale of India, the most important contemporary art exhibition in Asia, and in 2003 with the Turku Biennale in Finland. The interaction of art and science is an ongoing theme of the Biennale. FB03 presented exhibitions of the Vatican Museums Conservation Laboratory and historic Ferrari racing cars. Streamlined speed was again seen in this 2005 show of classic motorcycles by Harley Davidson.
The 7th Edition of Florence Biennale confirm the role of this exhibition in the world of contemporary art, with its 650 artists, 84 nations represented and more than 2500 artworks exhibited. 
 
Stay at Hotel Mario's and enjoy this important exhibition.
Via Faenza, 89
50123 Firenze
Tel. 0039 055 216 801
Fax 0039 055 212 039
Internet site: www.hotelmarios.com

mercoledì 17 agosto 2011

Bigallo - new info point in Florence

Since the beginning of August, at the corner between Piazza del Duomo and Via Calzaioli, in Florence, at the Loggia del Bigallo, there is a new info point, where tourists can find all kind of information, maps, suggestion and support for their stay in Florence.
 It's an amazing infopoint, since the place looks more like a museum than an office.
It's actually also a museumm, that it's possible to be visited for free, but with a reservation calling : +39-055-288496 ( visit from August 6th to December 31st ).
 
 We think is a marvellous thing. So, if you don't get the information you need at Hotel Mario's ( we are usually able to offer the same service here at the desk ) you could go in this new "old" place.

For your stay in Florence, nothing better than Hotel Mario's, a great little charming hotel in the heart of Florence ( near the Duomo the train station of Santa Maria Novella and the San Lorenzo market )

martedì 16 agosto 2011

The Palio di Sienna

Today is the Palio day. What's the Palio?
The Palio of Siena with its exciting horse race is one of the most popular and well-known historic festivals in Italy. The contest to win the palio of Siena is a horse race run in Siena's fan-shaped main square, Piazza del Campo or Il Campo.
Siena is divided into 17 neighborhoods, or contrade, each with a rider. Ten contrade take part in the first race, July 2, chosen by a draw 20 days before the race. The other seven plus three from the July race compete August 16. Horses are assigned to the riders by a draw three days before the race.
Originally, there were about fifty-nine "Contrade"; now only seventeen remain, ten of which take part in the historical pageant and in the race at each Palio (seven by right and three drawn by lots).
The 17 Contrade are: Eagle, Snail, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, Owl, Unicorn, Shell, Tower, Ram, Caterpillar, Dragon, Giraffe, Porcupine, She-Wolf, Goose.
Each Contrada has its own unique emblem and colors and represents an area of the city. As one walks through the streets of Siena it is easy to know in which Contrada you currently are in by observing the flags and emblems displayed along the street. Much like street signs, corners often designate the entrance into a different Contrada with signs as the ones in the picture below.
The Palio horse race takes place twice a year, one the 2nd of July (Palio of Provenzano, in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano) and on August 16th (Palio of the Assumption, in honor of the Virgin Mary's Assumption).
During this special occasion, the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo, is prepared for the race as the ring around the square is covered with tuff clay.
 Places where to stay:
All accommodation and hotels will be filled for months if not years before hand. To be in Siena during June and August, when the races are run, is expensive and needs to be prebooked. Try to reserve your rooms at least one year before hand, if you wish to stay in Siena during the summer months. All of the central buildings are full to capacity with people hanging out of the windows.So, this is also a good reason to stay in Florence throughout the days of the Palio, in order to have a less crowded situation, but being very close to Sienna as well.
 Hotel Mario's is glad to give availabilities for these days. We are close to the central staion of Florence, Santa Maria Novella, very close to the Sita bus station  where you could easily catch a bus to Siena every hour.
Hotel Mario's is a friendly and small hotel in the centre of the city of Florence.
You can contact us for booking a room:
www.hotelmarios.com
info@hotelmarios.com
Via Faenza 89,
50123
Florence(Tuscany)
Italy


sabato 13 agosto 2011

BEATO ANGELICO: San Marco, Florence, 1436–1445

Posthumous portrait of Fra Angelico by Luca Signorelli
Fra Angelico (c. 1395 – February 18, 1455), born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent". He was known to his contemporaries as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole (Brother John from Fiesole) and by Vasari as Fra Giovanni Angelico (Brother John the Angelic One).
Fra Angelico is known in Italy as il Beato Angelico, the term "Il Beato" ("Blessed One") being already in use during his lifetime or shortly thereafter, in reference to his skills in painting religious subjects. In 1982 Pope John Paul II conferred beatification, in recognition of the holiness of his life, thereby making this title official. Fiesole is sometimes misinterpreted as being part of his formal name, but it was merely the name of the town where he took his vows as a Dominican friar, and was used by contemporaries to separate him from other Fra Giovannis. He is listed in the Roman Martyrology as Beatus Ioannes Faesulanus, cognomento Angelicus—"Blessed Giovanni of Fiesole, nicknamed Angelico".
Vasari wrote of Fra Angelico:
But it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this holy father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety.
In 1436 Fra Angelico was one of a number of the friars from Fiesole who moved to the newly-built Friary of San Marco in Florence. This was an important move which put him in the centre of artistic activity of the region and brought about the patronage of one of the wealthiest and most powerful members of the city's Signoria, Cosimo de' Medici, who had a large cell (later occupied by Savonarola) reserved for himself at the friary in order that he might retreat from the world. It was, according to Vasari, at Cosimo's urging that Fra Angelico set about the task of decorating the monastery, including the magnificent Chapter House fresco, the often-reproduced Annunciation at the top of the stairs to the cells, the Maesta with Saints and the many smaller devotional frescoes depicting aspects of the Life of Christ that adorn the walls of each cell.
The Maestà (Madonna enthroned) with Saints; San Marco, Florence
In 1439 he completed one of his most famous works, the Altarpiece for St. Marco's, Florence. The result was unusual for its times. Images of the enthroned Madonna and Child surrounded by saints were common, but they usually depicted a setting that was clearly heavenlike, in which saints and angels hovered about as divine presences rather than people. But in this instance, the saints stand squarely within the space, grouped in a natural way as if they were able to converse about the shared experience of witnessing the Virgin in glory. Paintings such as this, known as Sacred Conversations, were to become the major commissions of Giovanni Bellini, Perugino and Raphael.
 
Visit Florence's culture and stay at Hotel Mario's
 
Via Faenza, 89
50123 Firenze
Tel. 0039 055 216 801
Fax 0039 055 212 039
Internet site: www.hotelmarios.com 

mercoledì 10 agosto 2011

LITERATURE IN FLORENCE

Decameron (1350–1353) by Giovanni Boccaccio.
Despite Latin being the main language of the courts and the Church, writers such as Dante Alighieri and many others used their own language, the Florentine dialect, in composing their works. The oldest literary pieces written in vernacular language go as far back as the 13th century. Florence's literature fully blossomed in the 14th century, when not only Dante with his Divine Comedy (1306–1321) and Petrarch, but also poets such as Guido Cavalcanti and Lapo Gianni composed their most important works. Dante's masterpiece is the Divine Comedy, which mainly deals with the poet himself taking an allegoric and moral tour of Hell, Purgatory and finally Heaven, during which he meets numerous mythological or real characters of his age or before. He is first guided by the Roman poet Virgil, whose non-Christian beliefs damned him to Hell. Later on he is joined by Beatrice, who guides him through Heaven.
In the 14th century, Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio led the literary scene in Florence after Dante's death in 1321. Petrarch was an all-rounder writer, author and poet, but was particularly known for his Canzoniere, or the Book of Songs, where he conveyed his unremitting love for Laura. His style of writing has since become known as Petrarchism. Boccaccio was better known for his Decameron, a slightly grim story of Florence during the 1350s bubonic plague, known as the Black Death, when some people fled the ravaged city to an isolated country mansion, and spent their time there recounting stories and novellas taken from the medieval and contemporary tradition. All of this is written in a series of 100 distinct novellas.
In the 16th century, during the Renaissance, Florence was the hometown of political writer and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, whose ideas on how rulers should govern the land, detailed in The Prince, spread across European courts and enjoyed enduring popularity for centuries. These principles became known as Machiavellianism.

Visit Florence and stay at Hotel Mario's.
Via Faenza, 89
50123 Firenze - Italy
Tel. 0039 055 216 801
Fax 0039 055 212039
Internet site: www.hotelmarios.com

ART IN FLORENCE

Florence has a legendary artistic heritage. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, forefathers of the Renaissance, Ghiberti and the Della Robbias, Filippo Lippi and Angelico; Botticelli, Paolo Uccello and the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Their works, together with those of many other generations of artists, are gathered in the several museums of the town: the Uffizi Gallery, the Palatina gallery with the paintings of the "Golden Ages" the Bargello with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the museum of San Marco with Fra Angelico's works, the Academy, the chapels of the Medicis Buonarroti' s house with the sculptures of Michelangelo, the following museums: Bardini, Horne, Stibbert, Romano, Corsini, The Gallery of Modern Art, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, the museum of Silverware and the museum of Precious Stones. Great monuments are the landmarks of Florentine artistic culture: the Florence Baptistery with its mosaics; the Cathedral with its sculptures, the medieval churches with bands of frescoes; public as well as private palaces: Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Davanzati; monasteries, cloisters, refectories; the "Certosa". In the archeological museum includes documents of Etruscan civilization. In fact the city is so rich in art that some first time visitors experience the Stendhal syndrome as they encounter its art for the first time.
Uffizi hallway
Florentine architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1466) and Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) were among the fathers of both Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture,
The cathedral, topped by Brunelleschi's dome, dominates the Florentine skyline. The Florentines decided to start building it – late in the 13th century, without a design for the dome. The project proposed by Brunelleschi in the 14th century was the largest ever built at the time, and the first major dome built in Europe since the two great domes of Roman times – the Pantheon in Rome, and Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The dome of Santa Maria del Fiore remains the largest brick construction of its kind in the world. In front of it is the medieval Baptistery. The two buildings incorporate in their decoration the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. In recent years, most of the important works of art from the two buildings – and from the nearby Giotto's Campanile, have been removed and replaced by copies. The originals are now housed in the Museum dell'Opera del Duomo, just to the east of the Cathedral.
Florence has large numbers of art-filled churches, such as San Miniato al Monte, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinita, Santa Maria del Carmine, Santa Croce, Santo Spirito, the Annunziata, Ognissanti and numerous others.
Palazzo della Signoria
Artists associated with Florence range from Arnolfo di Cambio and Cimabue to Giotto, Nanni di Banco, and Paolo Uccello; through Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Donatello and Massaccio and the della Robbia family; through Fra Angelico and Botticelli and Piero della Francesca, and on to Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Others include Benvenuto Cellini, Andrea del Sarto, Benozzo Gozzoli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippo Lippi, Bernardo Buontalenti, Orcagna, Pollaiuolo, Filippino Lippi, Verrocchio, Bronzino, Desiderio da Settignano, Michelozzo, the Rossellis, the Sangallos, and Pontormo. Artists from other regions who worked in Florence include Raphael, Andrea Pisano, Giambologna, Il Sodoma and Peter Paul Rubens.
Brunelleschi's dome
The Uffizi and the Pitti Palace are two of the most famous picture galleries in the world. Two superb collections of sculpture are in the Bargello and the Museum of the Works of the Duomo. They are filled with the creations of Donatello, Verrochio, Desiderio da Settignano, Michelangelo and others. The Accademia has Michelangelo's David – perhaps the most well-known work of art anywhere, plus the unfinished statues of the slaves Michelangelo created for the tomb of Pope Julius II.
Other sights include the medieval city hall, the Palazzo della Signoria (alsdo known as the Palazzo Vecchio), the Archeological Museum, the Museum of the History of Science, the Palazzo Davanzatti, the Stibbert Museum, St. Marks, the Medici Chapels, the Museum of the Works of Santa Croce, the Museum of the Cloister of Santa Maria Novella, the Zoological Museum ("La Specola"), the Bardini, and the Museo Horne. There is also a collection of works by the modern sculptor, Marino Marini, in a museum named after him. The Strozzi Palace is the site of special exhibits.

Visit Florence and stay at Hotel Mario's


lunedì 8 agosto 2011

FASHION DESIGNERS OF FLORENCE

Luxury boutiques along Florence's prestigious Via de' Tornabuoni.
Florence being historically the first home of Italian fashion (the 1951–1953 soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini are generally regarded as the birth of the Italian school as opposed to French haute couture) is also home to the Italian fashion establishment Salvatore Ferragamo. Gucci, Enrico Coveri, Emilio Pucci, Patrizia Pepe, Ermanno Scervino and many others are founded and located in Florence. Prada, Roberto Cavalli, and Chanel have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts. Florence's main upscale shopping street is Via de' Tornabuoni, where major luxury fashion houses and jewelry labels, such as Armani, Ferragamo and Bulgari, have their boutiques.
The San Lorenzo market is now largely for tourists. Great places to walk include along the Arno and across any of its bridges, through narrow, medieval back streets in the Santa Croce area and in the Oltr'Arno – on the south side of the river, in many ways like Rome's Trastevere or Paris's Left Bank – but far smaller. There are also superb shopping streets, such as the Via Tornabuoni, the Via del Parione, and the Via Maggio.

Visit Florence and stay at Hotel Mario's.

Hotel Mario's
Via Faenza, 89
50123 Florence - Italy
Tel. 0039 055 216 801
Fax 0039 055 212039
E-mail: hotelmarios@hotelmarios.com
Internet site: www.hotelmarios.com